Education to me (and so many other educators) is more than just learning algebra and how to write a persuasive essay and the causes of World War I- or in my case as an art educator, how to mix colors and create dimension, or what period of art Van Gogh or Lee Krasner belongs to. Education is so much more than the facts and figures that we teach to students. I strongly believe that the most important tenet of educational systems is and should be social emotional learning and a classroom that is a safe space for students to not just be, but to stretch and explore, to engage with new ideas, and to form an idea of what they as an individual stand for and believe in.

​

Social learning has become an overlooked area of study in today’s schools, yet art education centers its curriculum on social learning. Art curriculum emphasizes that students look at the interactions between students and their peers, their teachers, and others in their social spheres at these points in their lives. Art offers a rare opportunity for students to express their opinions, their frustrations, their admiration for all the moments they are processing. Art studios are a testing zone for vulnerability, creative thinking, and artistic behavior. I hold an ardent belief that the arts are vital to the heart of what education is and should be. Art provides our learners with a kaleidoscopic lens through which to view the world. Art engages skills of visual literacy, critical thinking, social-emotional proficiency, and even integrates ideas from mathematics, literacy, science, history, and so much more. Art curriculum is not one size fits all- and never should be. But all students should be allowed the opportunity to connect their world with art and creative thought. Which is why I am pursuing this career in art education, because every student deserves an art teacher.